Southern California shipper Awesome Gem came from off the pace to run down Nite Light in deep stretch for a 1 1/4-length win in the $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (gr. II) at muddy Hawthorne Park Oct. 3.

Leading trainer Steve Asmussen could saddle three colts in the $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) May 26, but even though the odds are in his favor, it still might not be enough to conquer Frank Stronach's Giant Gizmo, who enters the 1 1/16-mile test at the top of his game.

Southern California invader Monterey Jazz led the $300,000 Texas Mile (gr. III) procession nearly every step of the way to register an eight-length laugher over five overmatched foes at Lone Star Park April 26.

On paper, Monterey Jazz is the lone speed in a field of six contesting the $300,000 Texas Mile Stakes (gr. III) April 26 at Lone Star Park. If he kicks clear, there may be no catching the son of Thunderello, who looks for his third graded stakes score in less four months in the one-mile main track event.

Texas bred Scrappy Roo held off the rallying Going Ballistic by a head in the $168,500 John B. Connally Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT) on closing night at Sam Houston State Park April 5, earning his fifth consecutive victory.

Millennium Farms' Student Council will try the turf--a surface he's never won over--for the first time since December of 2006 when he tackles seven other starters in the $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Sam Houston April 5, but trainer Donnie von Hemel expects Going Ballistic to put up a fight.

Odds-on choice Jonesboro finally shook loose of a stubborn Gouldings Green in the final furlong to post a front-running victory in the $149,000 Razorback Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park March 8.

Zanjero, who won more than $1 million last year as a 3-year-old, makes his 2008 debut for trainer Steve Asmussen as the 118-pound high weight in the $150,000 Razorback Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park March 8.

Four Roses Thoroughbreds' Diamond Stripes looks to rebound from an eighth-place finish in the slop in the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) when he faces eight foes in a contentious renewal of the Clark Handicap (gr. II) Nov. 23 at Churchill Downs.

Going Ballistic was a bargain more in more ways than one, for his sire, Lite the Fuse, stood for a modest $7,500 when the colt was conceived in 2003. Now in Pennsylvania, where he stands for $3,500, Lite the Fuse has been the state's leading sire for three consecutive years. So far, he has sired 222 winners and 22 stakes winners in his first seven -- a quite respectable 62% and 6.1% of foals, respectively -- but Going Ballistic is his first graded stakes winner.

Saturday, Sept. 22 was a holiday of sorts for trainer Todd Pletcher. He was all prepared to celebrate the end of a two-month slump that has seen his normally lofty winning percentage of around 25% drop to 11%.

Entering the $500,000 Super Derby Stakes (gr. II) Sept. 22 at Louisiana Downs, Going Ballistic had not won since May. With help from jockey Clifton Berry, Mike and Mary Kindred's 3-year-old colt soared through the middle of the racetrack to overtake heavy favorite Grasshopper to win by a length.

All the talk leading up to the $500,000 Super Derby (gr. II) has been centered around race favorite Grasshopper. But several of the 10 contenders in the Harrah's Louisiana Downs feature event Sept. 22 have more than enough credentials to make bettors give the 1 1/8-mile event a second look.

The French-bred Shamdinan, making his United States debut for new trainer Doug O'Neill and owner Triple B Farms, caught a game Red Giant in the final strides to win the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) for 3-year-olds at Arlington Park Aug. 11.

Red Giant burst onto the national stage July 21 with a victory at 37-1 in the Virginia Derby (gr. IIT) and the Todd Pletcher trainee could be the horse to beat in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) for 3-year-old turf specialists at Arlington Park Saturday.

Lattice rallied in the middle of the course to get the lead in the final strides, winning the $250,000 American Derby (gr. IIT) presented by Jack Daniel's by three-quarters of a length over Going Ballistic on the turf Saturday at Arlington Park.

Todd Pletcher trainee Pleasant Strike, coming off consecutive victories in the Arlington Classic and an allowance optional claimer at Arlington Park, looks to extend his winning streak when a field of nine sophomores goes postward in Saturday's reneweal of the $250,000 American Derby (gr. IIT).

Delightful Kiss proved his 3 1/2-length victory in the Ohio Derby (gr. II) at odds of 24-1 earlier this month was no fluke when he rallied six wide in the stretch to capture the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows Friday night.

Delightful Kiss, the 24-1 upset winner of the June 2 Ohio Derby (gr. II), will be striving for his second big win in the June 29 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. The Iowa Derby, worth $250,000, is the richest of three stakes on the June 29 card.

Curlin, coming off a dazzling maiden debut victory by nearly 13 lengths six weeks ago, was equally impressive Saturday, leaving his field behind while capturing the $300,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park in his first start for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Teuflesberg and Officer Rocket, the first two finishers in the Southwest Stakes last month, return to Oaklawn Park Saturday for the $300,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year-olds where they will meet spectacular maiden winners Curlin and Flying First Class.

Fox Hill Farm's Hard Spun, a son of Danzig who has won all four of his career starts for trainer J. Larry Jones, heads a cast of nine for the $250,000 Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park, a fertile ground for grooming contenders for the $2 million Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Unbeaten odds-on favorite Tiz Wonderful, ridden by John Velazquez, fought back after being passed in the stretch by Any Given Saturday to regain the lead near the finish and post a half-length victory in the 80th running of the $223,800, grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes for two-year-olds on the closing day of the 21-day Fall Meet at Churchill Downs.

Stonestreet Stable's Tiz Wonderful, who has won his two career starts by a combined margin of 19 Â¼-lengths, is the odds-on morning line favorite in a field of nine 2-year-olds entered in Saturday's $200,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II).